SC issues notice to Centre, UP govt, Ram Mandir Trust over Ayodhya donation theft
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK New Delhi, July 13: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government…
THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, July 13: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on a batch of petitions seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of embezzlement of donations received for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan heard the matter and directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report on the progress of the investigation. The court also asked the SIT to disclose its composition.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the Bench that the status report would be filed in a sealed cover.
The Bench, however, declined the Solicitor General’s request to defer issuance of notice to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
During the hearing, counsel for one of the petitioners urged the court to direct preservation of CCTV footage and other records connected with the alleged irregularities.
The petitioners also requested that copies of the SIT’s status report be shared with them. The Bench declined the request at this stage.
“We will see later. It’s an ongoing investigation,” Chief Justice Surya Kant observed.
Multiple petitions seek CBI probe, forensic audit
One of the petitions has been filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, appearing in person, seeking a CBI investigation and an audit of the Trust’s finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Another petition, filed by Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, also appearing in person, seeks similar directions for a CBI probe and calls upon the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Trust to safeguard the interests of devotees and donors.
The petition states that, irrespective of whether the allegations are ultimately substantiated, reports of missing funds and financial irregularities have caused widespread concern among devotees who contributed to the construction of the Ram Mandir.
RJD MP seeks forensic audit under Supreme Court monitoring
A separate petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh seeks a court-monitored CBI investigation along with a comprehensive forensic audit of the Trust’s finances.
The plea also seeks directions to preserve all financial records, including physical documents, digital ledgers, UPI transaction logs and bank statements, to prevent any alleged tampering with evidence.
It further requests that the Trust be restrained from undertaking major financial transactions, investments, contracts or administrative decisions involving Trust funds without prior approval of a proposed court-monitored oversight committee until the investigation is completed.
The petition also seeks publication of audited financial statements, donation records and details of fund utilisation on the Trust’s official website in the interest of transparency while protecting confidential donor information.
Additionally, it asks the court to direct the Trust to submit a complete statement of all donations and contributions received since its constitution, including cash donations, bank transfers, digital payments, foreign contributions, donations in kind, gold, silver and other valuables, along with details of their accounting, custody and utilisation.
Hindu Dharma Parishad also moves Supreme Court
A fourth petition filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad seeks a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations relating to the Ram Mandir donations.
Earlier, during the court’s partial working days, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent listing of the petitions. Similar petitions filed before the Allahabad High Court were not entertained to avoid parallel proceedings while the matter was pending before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police has registered an FIR following an inquiry conducted by the SIT constituted by the state government. According to the submissions before the court, eight persons are currently in custody in connection with the case.
